Friday, October 21, 2011

Crochet Slippers :: Mary Jane and Murry Joe

I don't often crochet things for myself. (Correction: the cowl I made for our crochet along was, I believe, the second thing I have ever crocheted for myself.) I have only made two, count 'em, two things for Forrest. I am always crocheting--seriously, all the time--but hardly have a single item in my house that I made to keep. That seems kind of sad, doesn't it? That hundreds of kids all over the world are wearing my hats, but most of the people I love (um, myself included) don't own anything I've made for them?

And earlier this month, while I was up to my ears in orders for my shop, I realized something: my feet were chilly. Quite chilly. Sure, I could have gone and put on a pair of socks, but the heart wants what the heart wants, and this girl's heart wanted handmade crochet slippers. Is that so wrong?

So I set aside the orders I was working on and decided that, wonder of wonders, I was going to crochet something for me. And not decide at the last minute to sell it instead, which happens to most of the crochet projects that I start for myself. Ravelry produced an adorable Mary Jane slippers pattern and I got busy while listening to General Conference.

Before too long, I had a cute pair of slippers. But my feet were still chilly. Why, you ask?

Because those are my dang husband's gigantic hobbit feet in my slippers! I know that I crochet loosely and usually need to drop at least one hook size or alter patterns to make them smaller. So I did. I went down one hook size from what the pattern recommended, and crocheted them according to the pattern. I thought that would be enough. Clearly, it was not.

(I'd like to take a moment to point out that I did not direct him in these feet poses. He's a natural.)

I was actually headed towards the garbage can to toss them out when he called, "Wait! Where are you going with those?!" I told him they were getting chucked, obviously, because they were huge and ridiculous.

"Are you joking? I want them." Really? You want them? "Of course!" And he's been wearing them ever since.

Thank goodness conference is two days long--I had enough time to make a matching pair for myself . . . a little smaller this time around.

After that first pair of slippers, I was prepared to declare this a crochet failure and give up, never to make anything for myself again. But matching husband-wife Mary Jane and Murry Joe slippers?

30 comments
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Okay this got a chuckle out of me this morning, after a very stressful day yesterday and a night of poor sleep. Awesome. I was wondering why you had such fuzzy legs in the first picture :) That's cute that your husband played along and can enjoy your creations too. Very cute slippers though, might have to try them out. I'm really enjoying Ravelry, made a couple things off there already.

OMG that is too funny! I can't believe he even posed for photos!I checked out the pattern and it looks kind of complicated... do you think a beginning to almost intermediate crocheter could make them??

Oh my goodness, you had me laughing with this post! The first picture actually had me thinking "wow, that's not what I would think Rachel's ankles would look like." And I LOVE the "Murry Joe." Looks like you two had a lot of fun modeling :)

That was the cutest thing I have ever seen, your husband posing like that! At first I had to kind of wonder, thought maybe you just needed to shave your legs! This post was adorable!!! Love those slippers! Must make some too!

This seriously made me laugh! I came across your blog when I saw your GORGEOUS bobble blanket on Pinterest. I have high hopes to copy...green and all. ;) I just started crocheting 2 months ago. I made these slippers myself this weekend...in hopes I could figure out how to make a small pair for me 3 year old. Well, they WERE HUGE! I ripped mine out a few times before I got all the sizing right. I was pretty excited when I nailed my daughter's on the first shot. It just made me laugh that I wasn't the only one...and made me feel a tad better about myself. ;) Thanks for your great blog! I can't wait to make that blanket!!